Citizenship Agents Program runs major projects in Zona da Mata Mineira in 2022

Initiatives were carried out over the year in collaboration with local leaders and organizations in aid of local communities.   The Citizenship Agents Program concluded its activities in 2022 with a positive balance. Over the year four initiatives were implemented in the municipalities of Miraí, Muriaé, Rosário da Limeira and São Sebastião da Vargem Alegre, in Zona da Mata Mineira, primarily focusing on strengthening compliance with local public policies.   The initiative includes the joint Votorantim Institute and CBA Citizenship Program, implemented by the Open Government and Democratic City Institutes [Governo Aberto and Cidade Democrática respectively] since 2021. The program fosters active citizenship among youth, with advances in the dimensions of democratic culture, political involvement, and territorial articulation. In 2022, the initiative selected 30 young people between the ages of 16 and 29 to work as volunteers, known as Citizenship Agents, between June and December.   In Miraí, the program focused on animal welfare in 2021 and on rescuing the region's culture and heritage in 2022, through thematic workshops on art and poetry with elementary school students in the city.  The emphasis was on the municipality's history, as it celebrates its centennial this year.   In Muriaé, the program conducted cultural workshops on racial and LGBTQIAP+ representation.   In the municipality of Rosário da Limeira, the Citizenship Agents addressed the topic of youth politics, promoting awareness about the democratic process, civic duties and public policies for local communities.   In São Sebastião da Vargem Alegre, the program focused on environmental issues, particularly on responsible waste disposal, separation and recycling of household waste.   19-year-old agent Diego Bittencourt de Oliveira worked on the development of awareness workshops in Muriaé, impacting over 200 people.   "We conducted didactic workshops and created the privilege game, to make the audience reflect more. We looked at situations that LGBTQIAP+ and black people have to deal with frequently and asked those who had never experienced them to take a step forward.  It was a rich and highly educational moment", he points out.   Ágatta Rodrigues Pereira, 22, who has been part of the program in Miraí since 2021, mentored the new participants in the past year. She highlighted that the activities had a significant impact on hundreds of students and teachers.  "The activities we carried out focused on public policies and the consolidation of animal welfare work, covering pets and wildlife.  We also worked on culture, championing the heritage, Miraí's centennial, its traditions and tourist attractions. Through cultural programs in schools we organized challenges and art and poetry competitions, with prizes for the best entries, involving over 600 students and educators."   The program In the year, participants are involved in online activities and in-person workshops to share their learnings with their communities. These workshops included debates and interactive games around the themes of social participation, citizenship, representation, identity, and political youth. They also used and disclosed a public query app other agents and citizens can use to analyze the problems of the city and the desire for change among local communities.   Wesley Ferreira, the initiative's facilitator and president of Coletivo Diversidade (an LGBTQIA+ NGO in Muriaé), stated that the program's culmination provided an opportunity for exchanging experiences.  He said, "The agents were able to voice their difficulties and challenges and explain how the projects and partnerships developed could benefit their cities.  "We hope that this exchange of knowledge has been valuable in aligning goals, needs and perspectives for 2023," he enthuses.   For Christian Fonseca de Andrade, the manager of CBA's Mines in Zona da Mata Mineira, the conclusion of another round of Citizenship Agents initiatives brings benefits to the region through the empowerment and accountability of young citizens in the development of their communities, also nurturing an environment for the exchange of knowledge among new social leaders. "We celebrate another year of promoting the political empowerment of local youth through citizenship education. Our expectation is to continue supporting this important work, especially to meet the needs of our geographies," he evaluates.   Next steps In 2023, Citizenship Agents will resume their activities with the recruitment of local youth for the new registration period, scheduled for the first half of the year.  Shortly after the training process, objectives will be set to mobilize other players and organizations to support the agents in the implementation of their proposals.   To select volunteers, the program draws on the support of various organizations, collectives, movements, political players and local leaders in participating cities and towns. In the upcoming cycles, the young people will conduct public consultations with local communities to gather information about the current situation in Brazil and local municipalities.  Based on this, problems and aspirations for local changes will be identified, allowing the agents to define upcoming goals, projects, partnership opportunities and action plans.   About CBA Founded in 1955, Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio - CBA is a vertically integrated producer, from cradle to gate, including recycling. Able to generate 100% of energy consumed from renewable sources, CBA provides sustainable solutions for the packaging, transportation, automotive, civil construction, energy and consumer goods sectors, as well as leading the recycling of industrial aluminum scrap.   Following its flotation in 2021 (CBAV3), it became the first Company in its segment to be traded on B3 and entered the portfolio of B3ISE - Corporate Sustainability Index in the first year it was eligible to do so. With net revenue of R$ 8.4 billion in 2021 and R$ 1.5 billion in adjusted EBITDA in the period, CBA is committed to guaranteeing a supply of low-carbon aluminum in partnership with stakeholders, developing communities in its geographies and conserving biodiversity. Would you like to know more? Go to www.ri.cba.com.br.   About the Votorantim Institute and the Citizenship Program The Votorantim Institute is an applied intelligence center that develops applied and environmental solutions that create value for society. Created in 2022, it is the social intelligence hub of Votorantim S.A. affiliates,  and promotes socio-environmental benefits. The Institute has implemented projects across Brazil, as well as in Colombia, Argentina and Peru. As part of its initiatives, in 2018 it created the Citizenship Program to create knowledge, innovation, and actions to strengthen a democratic culture in organizations and individuals so that, aware of their rights and duties, they may participate in the public life of their locations.  Press Office – Ideia Comunicação Empresarial Ângelo Franco – [email protected] | (31) 9.8435-9237 Josiane Souza - [email protected] | (31) 9.8417-3130